Line flow fan



Dec. 2%, 1931. E L, ANDERSON 1,838,169

LINE FLOW FAN Filed May 11, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY M MQ ATTORNEY E. L. ANDERSON LINE FLOW FAN Filed May 11, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR [WW/7RD L. I7/VD5EJOM ATTORNEY Elsa, 11% E. L, ANDERSON LINE FLOW FAN 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 11, 1929 INVENTOR fnwweo L. IIIVDERJOM BY M l ATTORNEYQ Dan 29, 393-3. ANDERSON 838,169

LINE FLOW FAN Filed May 11, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY w M ATTORNEY? nnwann L. mrzesom conronarron, or nn'rnorr, MICHIGAN,

Patented Dec. 29, 1931 i 0F GBOSSE ILE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OB TO AMERICAN BLOWER A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE nuns-Low an Application filed Kay 11, 1929. Serial No. 362,482.

My invention relates to fans.

' In particular, it is the object of my invention to provide a fan which may be made in any desired width with either single or multiple rotors on a single shaft with a single continuous casing in a lateral direction.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a fan in which the movement through the fan is substantially straight and may be varied so that the line flow shall be from a substantially straight plane to a plane of given an larity according to the requirements or the installation in which the fan is placed.

It is my particular object to adapt such a fan to the use of a sirocco rotor.

It is another object of my invention to provide for fans which may e utilized in unit heaters, or as sources of air supply on power plants in which a single fan may be utilized of any desired width operated by a single source of ower thereby providing for an even distri ution of outgoing air of any desired Width, the reduction of a number of motors and independent fans heretofore employed and the insurance of uniformity of flow which cannot be secured when independent fans driven by independent motors are utilized for delivering a given quantity of air.

It is my object to provide a fan in which the angularlty of flow may vary from seventy five degrees approximately to approximately one hundred and forty degrees.

t will be understood that heretofore in such installations as unit heaters and power plants, if a broad stream of air were required for delivery to the power plant or for delivery out of the unit heater into an enclosure, it is necessary to employ a multiplicity of fans with consequent complexity in motors, controls, dampers and piping. The housings of such fans are complicated. expensive, bulky and dificult of application in securing the correct direction of the air.

It is the particular object of this invention to rovide forthe movement of air through.

a an in the same plane without lateral divergence Heretofore, it has been necessary .fan.

to take the air in, for instance, through the side of the fan and then discharge it in a plane at right angles through the end of the In other words, it has been customary to dischar e the air from the periphery of the fan w ile takin it in at right angles through the eye of t e fan.

In my invention, I have devised a mechanism for taking in the air and discharging it in the same plane, the angularit of this inlet and discharge varying throug a wide range but always in the same plane. I have eliminated the eye of the fan and delivered the air to the peripher of the fan and removed the air irom t e peripher of the fan as distinguished from the 01 method of delivering the air to the eye of the fan on the side of the fan and then delivering it i' from the periphery or vice versa.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective of a power plant with my fan arranged across the entire uper surface of the plant, the upper surface of the boiler serving as a complete support for the fan and the air passagewa s instead (f f using a plurality of motors an separate ans;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through one form of my fan;

Figure 3 is an elevation from side of my fan; I Figure 4 is a modified view of my fan in section.

Referring to casing for the fan consists the outlet the drawings in detail, the of the side walls 1, a front wall 2 and a rear wall 3. 4 is an inlet frame surrounding the inlet opening 5. 6 is the outlet opening. A indicates the inlet axis and B the outlet axis. The angularity between these two axes may vary from approximately seventy five to one hundred and forty degrees. Mounted within the casing closely adjacent to the front wall 2 which is arcuate and just sufliciently spaced therefrom to provide a running clearance I mount a sirocco fan having the blades 7 mounted upon and plates 8 which are in turn mounted upon the fan shaft Q'carrying the pulley 10 driven from any source of power or directly driven by an electric motor. The

I shaft 9 is supported in bearing brackem 11 at either end. End plates 8 are mounted upon the bearing sleeves 12 which form the means of attachment of the plates to the shaft 9.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4 it will be noted that a space marked C between the periphe and the rotor and the casing is material y larger than the running clearance between the motor and the front Wall 2. This large space permits of proper volume delivery of the air as it is picked up at the inlet and moved out of the outlet.

Referring to the power plant shown in Figure '1, 13 is a boiler having a casing mounted thereon with end walls 1, a side wall 3 on top of the boiler with the front wall 2 on the upper surface, as seen in Figure l. The casing extends completely across the top of the boiler providing adequate draft for the boiler of uniform character from a fan driven by a single motor, designated 14:.

It is the principle of my invention to provide a fan casing preferably wider than the depth of the rotor and the vertical dimension of the casing. It is a further principle to provide a line flow fan of any width irrespective of diameter, l-l'eretofore, it has been regarded as essential in fans to limit the lateral dimension of the fan to, preferably, a less size than the vertical dimension of the casing.

I have also found that by my type of fan using the arcuate blades as indicated I can utilize a casing of relatively slight angularity where that is desirable and still maintain high efliciency.

It will be noted that the line DD indicates the plane or line of fiow of the air. The air comes in on the same plane and makes its exit on the same plane without lateral divergence. The section in Figures 2, and 4, is taken in the plane of the air flow. The rotor is arranged, consequently, transversely of the plane of flow, but rotates in the plane of flow. The air is taken in and discharged from the eriphery of the rotor and not from the side t ereof.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a casing having an inlet and outlet opening, a fan therein having arcuate blades extending transversely of the line of flow of air through the casing, means to support said blades at the extreme ends thereof so that the air flowing through the casing flows through the interlor of the fan from side to side between the blades, said interior of the fan being completely free of obstruction save for the supporting axle, and

means on said casin on one side therof to closel screen the bla es of thefan as they return mm the outlet to the inlet whereby air can only enter and leave the fan where the blades are traveling in the directionpf the air flow through the interior of the fan.

2. In combination, a casing having an inlet and outlet opening through which air flows in the same plane, a hollow fan having a plurality of arcuate shallow blades mountthereon on the periphery thereof, end plates for sup orting said blades adjacent the side walls 0 the casing so that the air can flow through the interior of the fan between the blades, and means on said casin arranged closely adjacent the blades of sai fan where they are returning from the inlet to the outlet wherebyono reentry air can enter in that area.

3. lncombination, a casing having an inlet and outlet opening, a fan therein having arcuate blades extending transversely of the line of flow of air through the casing, means to support said blades at the extreme ends thereof so that the air flowing through the casing flows through the interior of the fan from side to side between the blades, said interior of the fan being completely free of obstruction, and means on said casing on one side thereof to closely screen the blades of the fan as they return from the outlet to the inlet whereby air can only enter and leave the fan where the blades are travelin in the direction of the air flow through the interior of the fan.

4'. In combination, a casing having an inlet and outlet opening through which air flows in the same plane, a hollow fan having a plurality of arcuate shallow blades mounted thereon on the periphery thereof, end plates for supporting said blades adjacent the side walls of the casing so that the air can flow through the interior of the fan between the blades, and means on said casing arranged to support said fan closely adjacent to the wall of the casing and remote from the other wall.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my si ature.

EDWARD L. ANDER ON.

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